Blank ammunition is used in substantial amounts globally. Blank ammunition is a disposable consumer product which may be left in the nature after use. As it is made of plastic and metal, the decomposition process will be very long-lasting and therefore adversely impact the environment. Also, considerable amounts of environmentally harmful waste are produced by the use of powder charge.
Blank ammunition has limitations concerning where it can be used, as fouling will leave marks and pollute the environment where it is used. Examples of use are indoor training in buildings, airplanes, or other civil installations where training is necessary. The use of blank ammunition involves a safety risk as particles are shot out of the barrel and heat could cause personal injury or damage objects in the vicinity of the weapon. Additionally, the use of blank ammunition may cause hearing impairment as the noise level is very high.
Blank ammunition also causes wear and tear of the weapon. Sediments in the barrel increase the need for cleaning the weapon. Blank ammunition has a tendency to jam in bolts and often ruins exercise drills and other training.
Additionally, the purchase cost of blank ammunition is high.
Prior art solutions exist for the artificial simulation of weapon usage by means of artificial simulation weapons such as replica training weapons, toy guns, gas-based weapons, and soft-guns, for example. However, weapon simulation using such weapons does not give the operator any realistic simulation of weapon handling.